Bedstead.



portion of the bed, and Fig. 5

ALVIN BERG AND ROBERT BERG, OF SPARTA, MICHIGAN,

ASSIGNORS OF ONE-THIRD 'IO AUGUST A. JOHNSON, OF SPARTA, MICHIGAN.

BEDSTEAD.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that We, ALVIN BERG and ROBERT Bnno, citizens of the United States, residing at Sparta, in the county of Kent and State of Michigan, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Bed steads, of which the following is a specification.

Our invention relates to improvements in hospital, or invalids beds, cots &c., and its objects are: first, to provide a means where:- by the patient may be easily and readily changed from a lying position to a sitting or reclining position, and vice versa. Second, to so construct a bed or cot that an invalid may be removed therefrom without the necessity of lifting him bodily, and, third, to provide a means whereby the adjustable portion of the bed or cot may be readily removed from, or replaced upon a bedstead, and will lock the parts firmly together when being placed upon the bedstead.

WVe attain these objects by the mechanism illustrated in the accompanying drawing, in which Figure 1 is a sectional elevation of a bedstead, on the line 00 m of Fig. 2, with our adj ustable appliance in place. Fig. 2 is a plan of the same with the bed clothes and ticking removed to show the frame construction of the adjustable appliance, and its relative position in the bedstead. Fig. 3 is a side elevation of the foot post of a bedstead shown partly in section to disclose the latch that supports the foot of the bed when raised up to place. Fig. 4c is a perspective of the frame that supports the adjustable is a like view of a metal clamping plate designed to be attached to a wooden side rail of a bedstead for receiving and supporting the frame that carries the adjustable portion of the bed.

Similar letters refer to similar parts throughout the several views.

When using iron rails in the construction of these beds, the clamping device shown in Fig. 5 is extended, each way from the lugs Z Z to engage the head post A and the foot post C, as indicated in Fig. 1, to form the full length side rails of a bedstead, but when using wooden side rails the clamping device, L, is made short, as in Fig. 5, and bolted or screwed to the rail. The frame K is so constructed that the ends Z may be readily slipped into the space between the Specification of Letters Patent.

Application filed May 14, 1909.

Patented June *7, 1910. Serial No. 496,043.

lugs Z and the body of the rails and, being made upon an incline, will become firmly locked to place. This frame is, preferably, made integral. That is, the portions K are connected by integral slats or bars Zr: 72, so that it will act as a firm support for the bedstead, which would, otherwise, be likely to be very weak on account of the unsupported condition of the foot posts 0, which are not connected by a rail, the space between them being left open so that the patient may be allowed to walk, or be moved out between them, when the adjustable portion, D, F, E, is in the position shown by solid lines in Fig. 1.

The adjustable portion of this bed is made up of three elements, consisting of the back or head portion, D, the seat or stationary portion E, and the foot portion F. The head portion, D, is pivotally secured to the seat portion, E, or frame, K, by means of a shaft (Z, or any other available device. WVhen a shaft is used it is advisable to have projecting lugs or bearings, as is, to receive the shaft or pivotal bearing. In the accompanying drawings we have shown the supporting arms of this portion of the adjustable device, provided with a segment H, and a small gear wheel H, arranged to be actuated by any available form of a lever, or hand wheel, as J, and have also shown a pawl, J arranged to hold this head portion firmly to place, but do not desire to restrict ourselves to this particular appliance for actuating the adjustable portion of the bed, as there are many other forms of actuating devices that may be used without departing from the spirit of our invention.

The seat portion E is secured to the frame K in any available manner, and the foot portion F is pivotally secured to the seat portion E or to the frame portion K by means of a shaft 6, or by any other available means, and is connected with the head portion D by means of a connecting rod I attached at one end to the segment H and at the other end to the side arm of the foot portion, as at 2' i, so that any motion of the head portion will be transmitted to the foot portion in the opposite direction. That is to say, if the head portion is raised toward the position indicated by the solid lines in Fig. 1 the foot portion will be lowered accordingly, and if the head portion is lowered toward the position indicated by the dotted lines in ion will be raised the adjustable bed capable of being readily ny desired position tal portion, as indiig. 1, to apersaid figure, the foot accordingly, tl portion of the and easily placed in a from a directly horizon cated by the dotted lines in F position, or nearly so, e solid lines in said figure,

J, engaging the segment,

ius rendering pendicular, cated by th the use of the pawl as shown, or any 0 ratchet attachment, tions may be hel The foot piece which are pivotally seen the foot portion, F, as a the foot portio Fig. 1, the foot piec the position indicate form a table or pla ay rest the arms, or place a book, or work, or served thereon, or the phy it as a receptacle cines, &c., though purpose the patient quired to b clining pos firmly to p form of brace, as, cated at G, which is the side of the head po as engaging the outline dotted lines extending point to the dotte WVhen in it G, serves as a the bed is being used to inha sitting position, and adjusted to a ther form of pawl and the back and foot por- 0 any desired position.

G is mounted upon arms Gr red to the sides of t g, so that when position shown in e may be thrown up to d by its dotted lines, to tform upon which the when sitting up, victuals may be 11 may utilize gical tools, medi when used for the latter would, probably, be re-v lown or sitting in a reice may be held n is in the ition. This dev lace by the use of an for instance,

shown as pivoted to rtion I), as at (Z, and of the foot piece, by from said pivotal ne of the foot piece. 1 position this foot piece, foot rest for the patient, when support the patient when the bed is horizontal position,

foot board between the foot C, of thebedstead. t well, when zontal position,

y available the bed is in a horito provide some means, djusting mechanism, to prehead portion from dropping below the horizontal, and of holding it in the desition, and for this pur a narrow ledge, to receive and support it; b all strain is taken 'anism and the bed that the patient ousness that m1 from a fear that the be To support the foot is necessary to provide the upward motion of the supporting el for this purpose oted to the post 0, as at m, that it may be ma post when the rail or be forced, back t shoulder m will pass rail, as indicated in F pose we place in position y which means rom the adjusti is held firmly to place so 11 be relieved of all nervght, otherwise, be induced d was not secure.

portion of the bed it some means whereby is portion will force ement back as it passes,

we find the latch M, pivin position so back into the is passing, and will fall, 0 position so that the immediately. under the ig. 3, and hold the rail,

or ledges, as a,

or rails, firmly to place. Vith this conthe bed, we prefer the use of a shaft, as H as with it segments may be placed at each .end so that there wlll be no danger'iof the back of the bed becoming lop sided when a patient is sitting up in it.

9 represents a support that is secured to the side rails of the foot portion and extends upward, parallel with the end of the side to form a support for the foot piece Gr when it is being utilized as a foot rest for the patient when sitting up, or for a foot board to the bedstead.

C represents a cross rail between the foot posts, G, of the bedstead, placed there to strengthen the posts, but if used it must be 7 7 placed down low enough so that the foot portion may be raised and lowered-without striking it.

We prefer that the springs for use upon these beds be of thewoven wire and cable pattern, as the strain of the spring coils will assist, materially, in the ad ustment of the bed, though any other available form of spring may be used, or the bed may be operated without spring actuation of any kind.

- lVhat we claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent of the United States, 1s: p 1. In combinationawith a bedstead, a seat portion securely attached to the side rails of the bedstead, said bedstead being open between the foot posts, a head portion pivoted to one end of the seat portion, a foot portion pivoted to the other end of the seat portion, a segment and gear for actuating the head portion, a connecting rod connecting the segment with the sides of the foot portion, a footrest pivoted to the sides of the foot portion in position to be adjusted from a horizontal position to a vertical position, a brace to hold said foot rest in vertical position, a latch pivoted in each foot post to hold the foot portion in position when horizontal and a pawl and ratchet to hold the head portion to any desired position above the horizontal. 7

2. In combination with a bedstead, a seat portion, side rails on said bedstead, lugs on said side rails for securing said seat portion firmly thereto, said bedstead open between the foot rails, means for adjusting the head portion and the foot portion from a horizon tal position to a vertical position, a ledge for supporting thehead portion, and a latch pivoted in each foot post for supporting the foot portion when the body of the bed is in a horizontal position, and an adjustable foot rest pivotally secured-tothe footportion.

portion When in horizontal position, a foot rest pivotally secured to the sides of the foot portlon, supports on the foot portion to hold 15 the foot rest firmly to position, and a paWl and ratchet for holding the adjustable portion of the bedstead to position.

Signed at Sparta Michigan May 10, 1909.

ALVIN BERG. ROBERT BERG.

In presence of- A. B. CHENEY, CHAS. Gr. PRATT. 

